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Fresh snow brings consistently inconsistent conditions in Les Arcs

Heavy snowfall & changeable weather makes every ride an adventure

featured in Snow report Author Sam Birch, Les Arcs Reporter Updated

Starting on Tuesday evening, temperatures dropped and the heavens opened bringing thick powder to all of the Les Arcs resorts. The snowfall continued throughout Wednesday providing a welcome covering of silky smooth snow from the top of the Aiguille Rouge down to Bourg St Maurice (at 850 metres).

Since then temperatures have risen making the on-piste conditions unpredictable: you can go from the sublime to the ridiculous in a matter of metres.

On Thursday, the sun began to finally appear after a prolonged period of low visibility and precipitation, opening up vast swathes of off-piste to skiers and snowboarders alike. However, a subtle change in temperature early in the morning shifted the freezing level up to around 1800 metres, so early snow at some altitudes was falling as sleet on the lower echelons. The result of this is soft, powdery slopes and off-piste higher up, with the snow (often thick and un-ridden) becoming sticky down below.

Temperatures are set to rise further on Friday, with some clear skies and potential sunshine, before plunging over the weekend with yet more snow arriving on Saturday and Sunday. This means conditions are likely to keep changing in the immediate future.

above the clouds in les arcs

High Altitude

Typically, the best conditions are to be found at the greatest height. The recent snowfall has improved the snow depth everywhere but the difference is particularly obvious at the very top of Les Arcs where, at 3226 metres, the snow base has increased by around 80cm over the last few days. There is plenty of fresh powder accessible from the Col de la Chal and Arpette peaks; indeed it was possible to lay fresh tracks on most of the pistes themselves on Thursday morning. The Varet, Aiguille Rouge and Grand Col lifts above Arc 2000 have been closed since Tuesday whilst the mountain security team make those areas safe for skiing. As a result, many of the black runs in that sector are currently closed, in addition to Arandelières (red) and Vallée de l’Arc (blue). Once opened, they will provide access to even more virgin powder.

With light snow falling into Thursday afternoon, there should still be lots of accessible thick snow in the off-piste underneath the Arcabulle lift, adjoining the Ours black run and from the Arpette peak to the bottom of the eponymous lift.

a chair lift in the clouds

Mid-Level

Between approximately 2000 and 1800 metres the conditions are a complete mixed bag. The top half of Écureuils (black) is a wonderland of soft snow arranged into chunky half-formed moguls which you can choose to deftly dodge or ignore entirely, smashing straight through. The Renard (blue) run, riding at roughly the same elevation, is contrastingly sticky and uncooperative. Trying to maintain speed by riding “flat” along the tree-lined Plan Bois was one of the most difficult things I have done on a snowboard: sleet added to un-groomed powder on a slow blue run made it virtually un-ride-able in the middle of Thursday afternoon. Generally, regardless of whether it was thick powder or tracked piste, the snow has begun to “catch” a little around the freezing point. It is therefore much easier to ride a slope with some steepness (where you can return to your edges) than slower, flatter runs.

a wide piste in les arcs

Lower Down

Once you approach resort level in Peisey-Vallandry, Arc 1600 or even Arc 1800 the pistes are feeling decidedly sluggish. There’s still a load of thick snow available, even at the immediate edges of the pistes, although the inherent softness is more likely to act like a big brake to arrest your momentum. Somewhat counter-intuitively, it is those high-traffic areas which are often the best on the lower levels at present; constant use seems to have made them more slightly more reliable.

The good news is the snow base has increased to nearly 75cm at 1600 metres, and there is certainly no shortage of the white stuff both on and off-piste. With the promise of more dependable temperatures on the horizon, these frustrations should hopefully disappear within a couple of days.

a chair lift in les arcs

Going Forward

Friday may be similarly inconsistent in many areas, although a dip in overnight temperatures should improve things in the early morning. A pause in snowfall may see additional lifts opening, allowing access to previously untouched snowfields.

The weekend should be much more pleasant, with the weather forecast suggesting there will be even more powder to play with, lower temperatures and possibly some sunny spells.

Location

Map of the surrounding area